7 Best Workout Shoes in 2023

Calling the Free Metcon 5 the best workout shoe is still not praising it well enough! After working out in it many times and testing it in the lab, we can say that the Free Metcon 5 has versatility at its core. It is exceptionally flexible, so exercises like box jumps and planks are a piece of cake. It provided us with immense stability, so we were never at a loss when we did squats and overhead snatches. And it was able to compress quite well, especially under the heel, so we never felt any pain even if we prolonged our workouts. 

The digital force gauge in our lab showed that the Nike Free Metcon 5 only needed 8.8N to do a 90-degree bend. This is not even half of the 22.5N that a typical trainer would need. Given these numbers, saying that this shoe is insanely flexible still sounds like an understatement.

The base of this shoe was fairly wide, especially in the heel area. Compared to the 87.0 mm average, the heel area of the Free Metcon 5 is much wider at 95.1 mm. Even if we were fidgety, there was just no way that our feet would ever slip off the footbed.

Impact protection was also an aspect that this shoe aced. Using an HA durometer, we learned that the midsole is much softer than average, 17.4 against 27.0. No wonder our landings were never painful, no matter how harsh or aggressive our vertical movements had been.

It’s just too regretful that the upper did not make such a good impression on us when we performed the standard Dremel test on it. Twelve seconds of drilling, unfortunately, left considerable damage.

The Metcon series is once again making waves with the Nike Metcon 9. This workout shoe is loved by many gym rats, especially CrossFitters and others who love to incorporate a lot of lifting in their programs. This shoe is also functionally and aesthetically versatile enough to be worn in non-workout settings.

The Reebok Nano X3 is our best pick for comfort because it delivered a good deal of breathability and a soft feeling underfoot during our test workouts. What makes this shoe even more amazing is that it is effectively resistant to abrasion!

Smoke that was pumped into the shoe escaped through the upper material easily and quickly when we did our breathability test in the lab. In the gym, this shoe’s airiness kept our feet dry and comfortable. We scored this shoe a 4 out of 5 for ventilation.

The midsole tooling right under the heel felt really soft. When we assessed it using an HA durometer, we learned that the heel cushion is actually 24% softer than the average. No wonder we felt like walking on clouds when we wore the Nano X3 in the gym.

Aside from going through a breathability assessment, the upper was also subjected to a Dremel test for durability. After 12 seconds of high-pressure drilling, our tool did not even make a significant mark on the upper. Clearly, the upper’s breathability did not in any way compromise its sturdiness.

A downside of the Reebok Nano X3 is its weight. At 12.4 oz or 352g, this workout shoe is heavier than the 11.2 oz or 317g average. Gym rats who want shoes with a ‘barely there’ feel won’t be too excited about this one.

As the name suggests, the Nike Zoom Metcon Turbo 2 is a speedy addition to the Metcon family. We found it to be more flexible and agile as well as more cushioned for treadmill runs and high-impact cardio sessions. It is also amazing how the shoe manages to remain stable for lifting! Even though it's not as light as we expected from a shoe of this kind, it certainly didn't feel heavy on our feet.

The Nike Flex Control 4 is “less is more” in every respect. That’s why it truly deserves to be hailed as the best minimalist among all workout shoes. Of particular note are: its pretty light structure, minimal tongue, and low-profile midsole that offers just the right amount of the important stuff.

Weighing only 9.8 oz or 277g, this shoe is considerably lighter than the typical workout shoe that weighs 11.2 oz or 317g based on our data. Because it doesn’t feel like a brick on our feet, we were able to run faster and jump higher while wearing the Flex Control 4.

The insides of the shoe are padded just enough to ensure a comfortable fit. We particularly mention the tongue, which our lab caliper measured to be only 4.3 mm thick when the average is 5.8 mm. It was just enough to get rid of pressure and chafing, and it never felt too much on top of the foot.

The Flex Control 4 had one of the most low-to-the-ground midsoles we’ve ever tried. With stack heights of 19.0 mm at the heel and 15.6 at the forefoot, this whole structure is thinner by a whooping 5.6 mm and 2.7 mm than the average. Mind you, this cushion delivered so much quick-footedness and was still enough to provide impact protection whenever needed.

We noticed, however, that this shoe isn’t for heavier weightlifting. We observed that our toes got pushed forward during heavy lifts, and it was to the point that the friction with the forefoot became too uncomfortable and distracting.

We consider the Reebok Nano X2 TR Adventure as the best for outdoor workouts simply because outdoor use is in its DNA. Besides having an impressively durable upper, its outsole sports a lugged design that made it suitable for uneven outdoor surfaces. Both the outsole and midsole are firmer than average, giving the shoe a bit of advantage when it comes to not letting us feel the tiny abrasiveness of the debris that we stepped on.

We liked it so much that our Dremel test ended up just like a joke for the Nano X2 TR Adventure. Twelve seconds of abrasive drilling only left a scratch where other shoes would already suffer a serious hole. 

The lugged design of the outsole surely helped us maintain balance and grip when there were pebbles and other debris on the surface that we were working out on. Not only were we able to focus more on our exercises, but we also felt safe wearing this shoe because of how the outsole is configured.

Our lab assessments confirmed the firmness that we felt when touching the outsole. Our HC durometer revealed an 85.5 when the average is only 84.4. We couldn’t feel the roughness of some outdoor surfaces because of the firmness of the outsole and that of the midsole. The lab’s HA durometer scored the midsole a solid 32.0 when the average is only 27.0.

The shoe’s upper, however, only got a score of 2 out 5 for ventilation from us. It didn’t do well in both of our breathability assessments. Both light and smoke couldn’t pass through the upper material.

The Nike Legend Essential 3 is yours for only $65, which is 28.5% lower than the $91 average price of workout shoes in the market today. But price is not the only thing that’s low with this trainer. The Legend Essential 3 from Nike weighs only 8.78 oz or 249g, which is a lot lighter than the 11.18 oz or 317g average. Shedding that much weight is already an amazing feat, but this shoe gained the most value among all workout shoes in our eyes because it delivered a good deal of breathability and a lot of space to accommodate wide feet.

In the lab, we saw that the smoke that we pumped into the shoe escaped quite easily through the upper material. In terms of ventilation, the Legend Essential 3 got a score of 4 out of 5 from us. 

We also loved the fact that the toebox offered a lot of space that the wide-footers among us never had an issue with fit. Using a caliper, we learned that the toebox is 104.1 mm wide, and this is way higher than the 100.5 mm average.

After our test workouts, we also manually squeezed and pulled on the heel counter to test its stiffness. On a five-point scale where 5 means the stiffest, we gave this shoe a 2. Because of the flimsiness of the heel counter, we do not recommend the Legend Essential 3 to gym addicts who lift heavy and are in need of immense support.